This is a special group. We have a hard for -- all they had him for Atlanta hypocritical of pretax dollars. Thought they had been a -- that it appeared. OK you do theory albeit very clearly what -- gear. And didn't think -- building on the ground now. It involved and maybe one. The calls a first responders -- into the deadly crash -- helicopter today. In Seattle. Agilent in New York with this ABC news digital special report. The chopper plunged onto a downtown Seattle street right after trying to take off killing both people or badly -- man. In a car below all this in downtown Seattle just feet. From that city's historic Space -- Here's eyewitness Daniel Gonzales explaining what he saw and -- -- I was in the smoke a cigarette and dollars and the smoking area. And those looking down I heard the engine turn on and it isn't seconds later I heard a broom and -- -- little a heavy so. I heard the broom and I looked up and two seconds later the plane started. It's spreading now. Three vehicles were struck in all but the fire was spreading. Here's Kyle -- from the Seattle fire department. Now a lot of claims was the helicopter fuel burning as it's going on the street we -- able to contain it before it got the corner. And it's actually the fact that it was -- it was a good thing for the environment because it's burning most of that fuel off. But still we want to make sure was blocked before it made it into the sewer system. That potential crisis averted but that next step now will be federal -- now taking over. Trying to determine exactly what caused that deadly accident. For more on that -- ABC news aviation expert John Nance John. What can we take from that eyewitness account there that it was something like a minute between the chopper injures are not. And the crash. Not much disappointed when the GSD. Continent and begins her meticulous investigation one -- the things Errol Louis Downey junior eyewitnesses. NN pieced together especially cam looking eyewitnesses remember Dominican foreign kind of a matrix one of the witnesses another one basically -- ER aircraft turned around wants you or lost control and that is -- telling. You that pulls up again eyewitnesses are always shall be all the -- like -- in my seat crash that they are. They remember not necessarily what. How does the NTSB when they are on site there begin a process like this to go through that -- wreckage especially when there was such an intense fire that. Likely destroyed a lot of that chopper. The very first thing is to preserve the -- as best you can only that position to take pictures of it and then began meticulous process of looking at everything being the engine on the airframe maintenance yeah. The people it -- and his history -- previous 48% to ours I -- it will take into account everything even something that doesn't seem to be. While potential contributing cost of the -- everything is -- table once -- all put together and then Lincoln began to you all theory as to what happened and it's number one cause. Never what do we know what the two men that were on board that chopper cameraman bill straw men in -- if -- -- contract -- pilot. I don't think Jerry Apache. Don't want -- for years -- on the in my home he's on the other side of the camera so many times. Let it's it's really tough little you know that well and and and even raw numbers are -- family moved or they are basically our ABC affiliate in Seattle -- -- I'm in and out of that station all the time. Sixty obviously is always number one priority for any news organization or any organization backed that is using a kind of a helicopter today -- in a day today operation. How does it differ though when you're doing a crash investigation as a -- at a fixed wing aircraft. Well they're more movie parts helicopter that's true in actually aircraft it was you know speed over the -- and shoo fly -- former another helicopter has to make additional lift and that's what a rotary wing news the other -- he's over at Oracle when he. And once they looked all the problem is that the body of the helicopter wants to twist in the opposite direction. To which the to literature to which the rotors are going just a natural outgrowth we'll probably engine propelling the -- And when that happens of course you you have to have something to -- that's what Latino motorist or a little propeller on the back in the -- when -- -- tell me that one eyewitness says that the aircraft went around and 360 degree horizontal sure all. Before losing control and crash or that tells me as a potential about 300 still raw horror flick in Europe -- controls the tail rotor and has very serious specially don't take off or landing. We've -- talking a lot about voice data recorders. -- regards to the missing Malaysian airlines flight do you. Helicopters come equipped with those same kind of recording devices. Usually not. And I doubt seriously there may be a small recording device on this bird I'm not really sure but most -- that's not that's not true. I. Of course the investigation just getting into ways the NTSB and -- AA. Are now getting on site there at the base of the -- and aviation expert ABC news consultant John Nance and Seattle John thank you and of course our apologies for the loss. Those colleagues viewers of course you can keep up with the latest on the story in real time download in the ABC news app star in the store for exclusive updates on the go. For now on down Cutler New York with this ABC news digital special report.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Seattle Helicopter Crash Kills Two

A news chopper crashed near the city's iconic Space Needle.

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